Process of fermenting tobacco



Patented Feb. '2, 1932 tamer ANDREA scA -vInI, :or new YORK, N. Y.

rnocnss or rnnnnnrme TOBACCO No Drawing.

The Italian style cigars or stogies are spurious fermentation with heavy production of moulds and waste and inconsequence the quality of the resulting product is very poor. The tobacco capable of undergoing the true process will be designated hereinafter as suitable tobacco.

Heretofore to obtain the proper results in the process of fermentation hereinafter described it was necessary to mix suitable with unsuitable tobacco, and as no one can tell what years will produce suitable tobacco and what years unsuitable tobacco, and, as.

the unsuitable crops, according to long experience are by far in the ority. it is necessary to keep large quantities ofsuitable tobacco in storage from year to year.

The object of my invention is to provide a process. which will be certain in operation and make all tobacco from any crop of the kind in question suitable tobacco without regard to the year in which it is produced.

Heretofore suitable tobacco taken from the hogsheads was moistened with the proper percentage of water, stemmed and then put 5 to ferment in specially equipped rooms in hulks of about ten thousand pounds each; the

period of fermentation lasting about twenty days, during which time the bulks are demolished and rebuilt several times to obtain the proper type of fermentation at various temperatures. This fermentation, which in the last stages must be strongly ammoniacal, gives the tobacco a distinctive flavor and aroma which is desired by smokers of cigars or stogies known in trade as Ital.-

used alone but must be worked in with suit- Application filed December .1, 1930. eria1.l To. .499,316.

m g specifically a Ferment ti' or Toscani cigars.

For some unknown reason (probably. connected with he character of the growing season) the tobacco in question, when'grown in certain years, will not go into an ammoniacal fermentation when treated as above specified, but go into an atypical or spurious fermentation, and therefore such tobacco cannot be able tobacco in the ratio of approximately one to two in order to obtain the required results. This proportion may be varied one way or another accordmg to crops but 1s substantially as indicated.

The problem which my invention solves is the problem of making all of this Kentucky and Virginia dark tobacco suitable tobacco. The solution which I have discovered is as follows 0 The treatment is substantially the same as above specified for all tobacco except that after the tobacco has been moistened and stemmed and has absorbed about 45% of its weight in water, it'is sprayed or otherwise treated with a solution of hydrogen peroxide (3% active ingredients). This solution for best results should be applied through a vacuum-chamber. In any event the tobacco should absorb from 3% to 4% additional weight from this treatment and thereafter the tobacco is put in bulks and treated substantially as before. 7

Experience has shown that all tobacco of the kind and character in question. when so treated, regardless of the year of growth, will ferment properly so'that suitable tobacco by my improved process is assured with each crop. It also appears that the flavor and aroma of the tobacco when worked into cigars or stogies is improved and that tobacco is more homogeneous so that the cigars or stogies willbc more uniform in quality and burn and draw better. Moreover my improved treatment eliminates a far greater proportion of thenicotine insuring a greater degree of mildnessto the product. It is also apparent that this process makes it unnecessary to carry a large stock of suitable leaf tobacco worth a very large sum of money (over a million dollars for an ordinary factory) so as to tide over the years When un suitable tobacco is successively produced. As above stated, my improved process makes all of this Kentucky and Virginia dark tobacco suitable.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim is:

1. The process of fermenting tobacco Which consists in moistening and stemming same, and thereafter adding a solution of hydrogen peroxide and permitting this tobacco to ferment.

2. The process of fermenting tobacco which consists in moistening and stemming same, and thereafter adding a solution of 3% hydrogen peroxide and permitting this tobacco to ferment.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 28 day of November, 1980.

ANDREA SGALVINI. 

